Game



Aug. 21, 1928.

L. s. MCVEY TiCYl.

INVENTOR LELAND 5.!7 VEY ATTORNEY Aug; 21, 1928.

L. S. M VEY GAME E Filed Jan. 192'? r la 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR LELAND 5/4 EY BY ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 21, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LELAND S. MCVEY, 0F FONTANA, CALIFORNIA.

GAME.

Application filed January 8, i927. Serial No. 159,958.

into a cage, the object of the game being to project the balls into a basket contained in the cage to carry out the idea ofa basket ball game, and the success of a player in the game depending entirely upon the skill exercised in manipulating a ball projector to control the speed and direction of the projected balls.

It is also a purpose of my invention to provide a game of the above described char acter in which the basket is movable to permit dumping of the balls therefrom and through the medium of a chute to convey the balls back to the projector so that they may again be projected upon actuation of the projector.

A. further purpose of my invention is to provide a game of the above described character which is constructed to permit of its being readily assembled and disassembled, and when disassembled facilitating packing and shipping thereof.

I will describe only one form of game" embodying my invention and will then point out the novel features thereof in claims.

In the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is a view showingin vertical section one form of game embodying my invention;

front elevation with a portion of the cage broken away to revealthe mounting of the basket;v Figures 3 and 4 are fragmentary sectional views taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1 and showing the two extreme positions which the plunger of the projector is capable ofoccupying; v

Figures 5, 6 and 7 are views taken on the lines 5-:5, 6-6 and -7 7,respect1vely, of Figure 1. c I Referring specifically to the drawings, my invention in its present embodiment, comprises a base frame 15 of rectangular outline and preferably, although not necessarily, formed of wood. Adjacent one end of this frame is a cross bar 16 provided with an opening in which works a plunger of such length as to be extended through a similar opening in one end of the frame 15 and with the outer end of the plunger provided with an operating handle 18. A spring 19 is connected to the plunger 17 and to the Figure 2 is a view showing the game in crossbar 16 to normally urge the lunger inwardlyto the position shown in igures 1 and 3 in which it is disposed between a pair of spring arms 20 secured to the cross bar 16 and functioning to hold a ball, indicated at 21, in'pro'per position for projection upon actuation ofthe plunger. By

pulling the plunger outwardly against the tension of the spring 19, its inner end is withdrawn from betweenthe fingers 20 or to the 7 position illustrated in Figure 4, in which the ball 21 above'the plunger shown in Figure 1 can now pass downwardly between the fingers, as'illustrated in Figure 4. By releasing theplunger the spring will function to project the ball forwardly, it being understood that during this movement the fingers 20 will yield, as illustrated by the dottedlines in Figure 4.

' The projector just described when actuated will causefthe ball to be projected forwardly and upwardly ofia chute comprising a plate 22 of metal or other suitable material secured at one end of the under side ofthe cross bar 16 and curved upwardly to the other end where the latter is secured to a secondlcross bar 23." The chute also includes a second plate 24:, the lower end of which is inserted between the adjacent end of'the plate22' and thecross bar 23, and by the provision of sleeves 25 it is held in such position as to constitute a continuation of the curvature.of the plate 22 for directing balls passing upwardly thereof into a cage. The upper edge of the plate 24 is unattached so as to be movable forwardly or rearwardly and thus control the leaving such edge.

. i The cage is preferably constructed of wire screen, as illustrated, and comprises a front wall 26 and a. rearwall 27, both ofwhich are provided with U-shaped wire frames 28 and. 29, respectively, having their free ends inserted into suitable openings formed in the base frame 15 in order to support the walls in upright position. In applying the trajectory of the balls frame 29 to the base, the parallel portions thereof are extended through the sleeves 25 of the chute plate 2 1. The walls are connected by side walls 30 having partly inclined lower edges reinforced by metallic an upstanding'lip 34: which functions to prevent balis from passing upwardly beyond the bottom wall, it being noted that this upper end terniinates sli'ort"ofthe back-wall 27, so as to provide an intervening opening through which balls are projected from the chute upwardly into the cage. lhe lower edge of the rear wall 27 is bent forwardly as indicated at 27 to preventballs from i indicated generally at 39, undthe con's'trnction of-each of vi'hich isclearly shownin Figure? Thet'orward end-otthe top wall is, provided with latch lingers kit) by which it is secured in closed position- As clearly illustrate dinFigure 2, the cage is interiorly provided with ,aflbzislaet dials) formedot wire screen and including an an.- n ilar irame L2 secured-tea pair oi rods 43 journaled inplates 44 and constituting 'a shzittfor rotatablysupporting the basket. One-end of this shift is bent toprovi'dea crank'45 disposed exterioi lyof the cage and adapted tobe manually manipiilated'toet feet a dumping oflballs trom' thebasket. This' basket is so positioned within thecage that balls when projected by 3 the actuation of theprojector when exer'cising'the proper skill as-to speed and directionotltravel of the "balls it will be deposited intotheibasket} the course of the ball being clearly indicated by l the dash lines and arrows :in Figure By tilting the basket through operation or the crank-45 balls containeditherein will be discharged onto'the incline'd bottom 33 and iroinpthe latter intoa/ moi1th46 or a conveying tube"l7. The-lower end :oftliis tube 47 is disposed directly above and between {the spring fingers "20 so that the plunger '17,

normally serves to; p'revent balls .gravitating into position between the fingers 20. However, when the, plunger is retracted, the balls can then pass into position between the lingers, 'ashas beendescribed. The mouth 46 comprises a metal tran e'the lengtlrof which corresponds to the width of the bottom wa1l33, and thisframe isconstructedto causeballs deposited therein to be delivered tothe upper end of the tube47. The frame is provided with a ,pair of'lips 48 which serve to su iport'thelowerlend of the bottom wall 33 and to thusop'erate in conjunction with the pins"32",i'n supporting the bottoin I wall iirproperposition. 'Asshown in Figlower end of thetu-beif li is provided with a linger 50 which engages within a suitable notch of a panel 51 secured to the frame 15 and to the cross bar 16. In this manner, the

mouth and tube are rigidly supported in upright position to deliver balls to the pro1ectin'g'device. v I I p p a An mportant 5 feature of my invention-is the similarity of the game withrespechto I basket ball, "considerable skill 'being required in i the manipulation of the plunger to project balls with the propens'peed and accuracy to causethe n to be deposited in the bashet 41. Those 'ballswhich are not deposited ii'it'ofthe basket wiilhfall oiito the bottom wall 33 andthus be deliverdto'the mouth 46 froinwhence they are retiirned'ito the {projecto1, thi s allows the operator to shoot a succession of balls through the successive operation of the plunger. "Those balls reposing' in the basketca'n bo freturned to the projector by dumping "the basket' as has been described. I i Another important "feature of invenlion is the collapsibility of the game, itbeing noted-that the parts of the cage,"the chute and the conveying tube" are all #d'etachably connected to ea'ch other in orderthat they maybe readily disassembled to facilitate pa'cking and shipping;

Although I have hereinjsho'wn and Ede-- scribed only one formfo'f fgamei embodying my nvent on, itf'istofbeunderstood that various changes "and modifications mayf'he made therein 'w'ithotlt departing from "the 7 s p: ottliefinvention and the spirit and scope ofthe appen'dd'clainis.

I claim as my invention: p

' 1; Aigame "comprising a cagefha'vingf an opening in it s'bottom, "a" ball projecting devicebeneaththe cage, a chute for directing projected, balls upwardly through the I bottom a d intojsaid 'cage,j and"abasket'inthe cage adapted to receive balls fp'roj eeted into the cage; l v y I 2. Agame compi'isinga ca'geliavi-ng'an opening in its bottom, a ball projectingklevice beneath "the cage, a chute for directing projected balls upwardly through thebo'ttom and into said cage, a basket 'inthe'cage adapted to recei veballs projected into'the cage, meansfor mounting the basketto peri'nit dumping of balls theretr'onnand means by which ba'lls discharged from fthe ba sket and I balls projected "into the "cage aifdn'ot deposited into the Jba's'k'etgare' returnedto the/projecting device.

3. v A game comprising a' cage having an iopening in 'its"'bottom, a balhprojecting de vice beneath thecage, a chute for directing projected balls upwardly through the bottom "and into "said -'cage-,' a basket in the cage adapted to receive balls projected into the cage, means for mounting the basket to permit dumping of balls therefrom, and means by which balls discharged from the basket and balls projected into'the cage and not deposited into the backet are returned to the projecting device, said means comprising an inclined bottom for the cage, a mouth at the lower end of the bottom,-and a tube connected to the mouth for delivery of balls to the projecting device.

4:. In a game of the character described, a cage having walls connected to each other and including a bottom wall supported in inclined position and terminating at one end short of the adjacent end wall of the cage to provide an opening in the bottom of the cage, a ball projecting device beneath the cage, and a chute for directing balls from the device upwardly through said opening.

5. In a game of the character described, a cage having walls detachably connected to each other and including a bottom wall supported in inclined position and terminating at one end short of the adjacent end wall of the cage to provide an opening in the bottom of the cage, a ball projecting device beneath the cage, and a chute for directing" balls from the device upwardly through said opening, said chute comprising sections detachably connected to each other.

6. A game comprising a base frame, a ball projecting device on the frame, a cage sup- I v ported on the frame and including wire frames detachably connected to the base frame, said cage being, provided with an inclined bottom having an opening therein, a sectional chute. for directing balls from the projecting device upwardly through said opening and into said cage, one of the sections of the chute being permanently secured to the base frame and another section detachably secured to one of the cage frames, 7

a basket within the cage and supported to permit manual dumping thereof, and means associated with the bottom wall of the cage for directing balls back to the projecting device.

7. A game comprising a cage having an opening therein, a ball projecting device, means for directing balls projected by the device, upwardly and through said opening LELAND S. MoVEY. 

